Top 5 players you wished never left your side?

[tumbidragon]

Thats some serious class right there.

My thoughts exactly Jeez the Dogs let some high quality players go.

 

[Jason Maher]

1. Ryan Girdler
2. John Simon
3. Brett Rodwell
4. Craig Fitzgibbon
5. Josh Morris

 

[Special K]

Greg bird
Matt Rogers
Preston Campbell
David peachey
Tawera nikau

 

[Fufu Andronez]

In no order

1. Ali Lauititi
2. Brent Webb
3. Brent Tate
4. Motu Tony
5. Sonny Fai :'(

 

[Big Pete]

1. Petero Civoniceiva - Shouldn't have happened and the club shot themselves in the foot big time

2. Luke Priddis - Just one of those times where the club had a bunch of promising talent coming through and had to make a choice. Sitting on the couch watching Luke playing a starring role told you all you needed to know about that decision.

3. Lote Tuqiri - Couldn't blame him, the money offer was just too good. The NRL's response really annoyed me though, especially when they backflipped on Johns & Gasnier. Went from having one of the better backlines to having Minto, Kelly & Frawley duking it out for a wing spot.

4. Dave Taylor - I'd like to think that if Dave had have stayed he would have realised his potential and made something of himself up here.

5. Karmichael Hunt - Was very precious after the whole toilet drama but I admired his ability to stand up during the big games and wish to see how he would have gone had he stuck around.

 

[Tom Ace]

Morley
Wing
Tamou
Hodges
Sing

 

[little_aza]

Soward ... meh

Morris was out

I hate Soward. He's a whiney little b*tch who is so hot and cold depending on his confidence and depending on how the team is playing. But you cannot deny that in 2010 he was excellent - he and Hornby made an excellent halves pairing. That team under Wayne Bennett's tutelage exceeded all expectations to go from a pretty average team on paper to one of the best defensive units in modern history, as well has having quite potent attack, in part thanks to Soward.

Don't even try to pretend you wish he wasn't in Rooster colours when all you had was that hack Pearce. And while I don't like him, Soward definitely had the last laugh after that Premiership win.

And for Melbourne:
1. Aiden Tolman - excellent prop, surprised he hasn't played Origin yet...sad to see him go, has a huge future ahead.
2. Michael Crocker - the heart and soul of our side 06-08. An inspiration, as well as out good luck charm - iirc he won about 92% of the games he played with us? We didn't lose when he was on board.
3. Tawera Nikau - needs no lengthy explanation. He was responsible for that second half in the 1999 premiership. A true NZRL legend.
4. Jeremy Smith - our iron man. No surprises Wayne wants him at Newcastle - he makes their pack pretty intimidating now.

Like LESStar, I can't think of any more than 4. We've lost a few others, but I can't really list them as huge losses:
1. Greg Inglis - yes, he's a fine player, in fact top 5 right now. But the game as a whole is better off with him elsewhere. At Melbourne, stuck at 5-8 (and to a lesser extent centre) he just wasn't that great. It's good to see him play well at fullback now...except against us!
2. Israel Folau - at the time quite disappointed - youngest Aussie rep, and seemed like a genuinely good guy. But now we've learnt he has no loyalty. First he ditches Melbourne for Brisbane for family reasons - what happened to the family when he went to GWS? Then ditched GWS for the chance to play with Parra, but then ditches them for big money in Union. Glad to see him gone.
3. Dallas Johnson - played with so much heart, and tackled very hard....but can't help to think that we aren't missing out on very much with Hinchcliffe at lock?

 

[Charlie124]

1. Josh Hannay
2. Paul Rauhihi
3. Ray Cashmere
4. Luke O'Donnell (great to see him back in the nrl)
5. Graham Murray - while I love Neil Henry and what he's helped build at the club, I still hated the way muzz was treated when they booted him.


PS. I just re-read the thread title and see it says 'players' rather than 'people'.
Replace muzz with James Segyaro as he should be a star of the future, I just pray to the footy gods his career doesn't stall at Penrith.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

For Wests Tigers in no real order:

Hodgson, Richards, Gibbs (Never would have thought he would develop as much as he did - huge loss), Ellis and another very under-rated forward, Skando.

 

[POPEYE]

If I were a one-eyed Eel: Gerard, Leeds, N Hindmarsh, Schifcofske, McGuire, Kidwell, Moodie, B Hodgson, Richards, Ryan, Lyon, Mogg, Ash Graham, Tahu, Lowrie, Williams, Kingston, etc . . . take your pick

And from a Melbourne point of view only Nikau and J Smith

 

[Kiwi]

In no order

Hunt
Harrison
Taylor
Teo
Prince

If we kept all of them I think we would have rivalled the Storm easily in terms of achievements over the last five or so years.

 

[Loudstrat]

If I were a one-eyed Eel: Gerard, Leeds, N Hindmarsh, Schifcofske, McGuire, Kidwell, Moodie, B Hodgson, Richards, Ryan, Lyon, Mogg, Ash Graham, Tahu, Lowrie, Williams, Kingston, etc . . . take your pick

Pick five, the OP asks. How many fingers do you have on your left hand?

You must play your banjo like Yngwie Malmsteen.

Leeds :lol:. From your list Schifcofske, Ryan, and Hodgeson, plus the ones I mention below. Richards leaves but we keep Burt and Grothe and up pops Hayne. Likewise, Richards emerged in Moodie's wake. Kidwell would have been handy, but not if it meant losing Cayless, Vella or Hindy - and his loss was more than compensated by the re-recruitment of Chad Robinson, and the signature of Glenn Morrison. Wade McKinnon was a pretty handy replacement for Hodgeson too.

And which Williams are you referring to? There was actually three.........

And from a Melbourne point of view only Nikau and J Smith

Inglis?????

CURRENT PLAYERS: Mateo, Kingston, T Rex, Inu and Lyon.

FORMER PLAYERS: Ryan, Hodgeson, Ray Higgs, Jason Smith, and probably either Michael Buettner when he want to Norths or Mark Tookey.

 

[Lambretta]

Hannant is a girls blowse. Homesick baby. Hodgo is a turd who, along with Chris Walker, cost us the 2004 GF. I would have paid for his ticket back to Brisbane. As for Wing, a Roosters great no doubt; but the day he rocked up at that press conference wearing a Rabbitohs jersey whilst still contracted to the Roosters...well after that i would have paid a flight for him to Mogadishu - one way.

1. Adrian Morley
2. Luke Phillips
3. Simon Bonetti
4. Brett Mullins
5. Peter Cusack

Wing would not have been in a Souths jersey at a press conference if he hadn't left our club. Remember the thread is about wishing things hadn't happened.

Same with Hannant. Had his missus not missed her mummy then he would have stayed at Easts and been great for us.

I loved Hodges - while he may have cost us a game, he also won us plenty before his mental state went awol along with his relationship to that model he was dating.

Cusack was class and Philips only left when he was so injured he retired, so in my eyes he didn't leave. Yes he tried to come back for Souths but he was so far gone physically he couldn't even make their team.

 

[Loudstrat]

In no order

Hunt
Harrison
Taylor
Teo
Prince

If we kept all of them I think we would have rivalled the Storm easily in terms of achievements over the last five or so years.

Would have thought these was more obvious:

Jackson
Sailor
Tequiri
Civoniceva
Tate

although Prince and Taylor are good calls.

Brisbane's worst effort was when they put the broom through a few years back and you lost Petero, Hannant, Eastwood, Ennis and Stagg.

Hunt
Winterstein
Hodges
Folou
Yow Yeh
Lockyer
Wallace
Civoniceva
Ennis
Hannant
Taylor
Thaiday
Parker

Bench
Eastwood
Stagg
Carroll
Glenn

There's your 2009 premiers - salary cap permitting

 

[firechild]

Steve Menzies
Matt Ridge
Michael Robertson
Will Hopoate
Terry Hill

Had a stack of good players leave (Vautin, Roberts, Cunningham, Gillespie, Hasler) but not many left when there was still a lot to offer in their career. Kimmorley is probably an exception but I (and most Manly fans) were glad to see the back of the useless merkin.

 

[POPEYE]

Pick five, the OP asks. How many fingers do you have on your left hand?

You must play your banjo like Yngwie Malmsteen.

Leeds :lol:. From your list Schifcofske, Ryan, and Hodgeson, plus the ones I mention below. Richards leaves but we keep Burt and Grothe and up pops Hayne. Likewise, Richards emerged in Moodie's wake. Kidwell would have been handy, but not if it meant losing Cayless, Vella or Hindy - and his loss was more than compensated by the re-recruitment of Chad Robinson, and the signature of Glenn Morrison. Wade McKinnon was a pretty handy replacement for Hodgeson too.

And which Williams are you referring to? There was actually three.........

Inglis?????

CURRENT PLAYERS: Mateo, Kingston, T Rex, Inu and Lyon.

FORMER PLAYERS: Ryan, Hodgeson, Ray Higgs, Jason Smith, and probably either Michael Buettner when he want to Norths or Mark Tookey.

Just taking the piss Loudy, impressing on everyone that the Eels always do with what pops up, holding onto something they need wouldn't occur to them. As far as Inglis goes he wasn't anywhere near irreplaceable.

 

[Loudstrat]

You go back 30 years, name 17 players, of which 5 were internationals when they left, including a 300+ game one club player? One international every 6 years - and that's poor player retention? If anything we have leaked juniors, or first graders that are not likely to make the re scene. And over that time the juniors we have kept - eg Sterling, Kenny, Grothe, Hindy, Caylo, Ella, Hayne, Vella, Hilditch et-al, plus the players we have picked up from elsewhere, pretty much trump the talent we have let slip.

Nathan Hindmarsh is evidence of good player retention you f*cking brainless dribbler!

Greg Inglis was replaceable but Casey Maguire and Ash Graham were irreplaceable? :crazy:

But f*ck, we really needed Geoff Gerard in the 82 and 83 grand finals didnt we. :lol::lol::lol:

F8ck me you are thick!

 

[madunit]

For Wests Tigers
1 - Brett Hodgson
2 - Bryce Gibbs
3 - Pat Richards
4 - Gareth Ellis
5 - Ben Galea

For Balmain
1 - Arthur Beetson
2 - Geoff Starling
3 - Arthur Halloway
4 - Ellery Hanley
5 - Tim Brasher

 

[ggmu]

1. Dane Joseph Gagai
2. Andrew Lomu
3. Mitch Rivett
4. Robert Tanielu
5. Kris Kahler

We get it you know/think you know or are Gagai. Do all of your post have to be about him?

 

[AnfieldIron]

Ones I can remember off the top of my head:

Craig Wing
Ash Harrison
Ian Roberts
Braith Anasta (at the time)